Erie Canal

Opened in 1825 from the Hudson river to Lake Erie, the Erie Canal was the first transportation route faster than carts pulled by draft animals between the eastern seaboard of the USA and the western interior. The initial canal was 363 miles long, 40 feet wide, 4 feet deep. There were 77 locks, each 90 feet by 15 feet. Maximum canal-boat displacement was 75 tons.